College Composition / Unit 5 CMP 0102 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Pronoun Reference
Captions available
The idea
A pronoun should refer to one clear and specific antecedent.
In practice
"All nine board members voted for the change. They explained their reasoning" is clear, because they can only mean the members.
Where people slip
A possessive cannot serve as an antecedent: "In Smith's essay, she argues" should become "In her essay, Smith argues."
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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